


Green With

by a_gentle_dab, but_why_not



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Blue Devils AU, Dimension and Planet Hopping, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Modern Movie Boom and Classic sonic, No one is immune to the baby, Uncle Scourge AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26555116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_gentle_dab/pseuds/a_gentle_dab, https://archiveofourown.org/users/but_why_not/pseuds/but_why_not
Summary: It starts off as a job. Get the kid and deliver him to Eggman. But dealing with the kid and the fallout is not nearly as simple.Scourge has always looked out for number one. Ironic then, that it's the smallest of Sonics that begins to change that.
Relationships: Scourge the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 82
Kudos: 237





	1. Far Away

“Alright lil dude. An hour, then lunch?” Tom watched the blue hedgehog do some quick stretches. The day truly was a lovely one, with the perfect amount of overcast and chill touching the air. Seeing it, Sonic had all but begged to go on his run earlier than usual. As night fell the air would inevitably grow cooler, which Sonic had no problem running in, but it would be a _crime_ to let this wondrous weather go to waste.  
  
“Mmm, two hours?” He bartered. Watching Tom out of the corner of his eye, Wachowski gauged his success rate. A wry smile tugged at Donut Lord’s face. “Three hours!”

“Alright, don’t get greedy there, Lightning McQueen.” But the sheriff glanced up at the sky. “How about this, if those clouds actually do start pouring, you head home. Maddie said it won’t rain,” Tom tapped the edge of his nose, “but I can smell it.”

Sonic lifted his nose to the air, inhaling deeply. All he could smell was the clean linen scent from Tom’s shirt and the sharp bite of freshly cut grass. “If you say so.” He lunged to the right once more. 

Maddie had emphasized the importance of dynamic stretches before a run. Initially, Sonic had only joined in to spend time with her, but they did improve the overall quality of his runs and he found they soon became a staple.  
  
“Two hours!” Tom called after him, tone brooking no argument. Shooting a bright smile over his shoulder, Sonic took off into the treeline.

Ten years was a long time. There weren’t many bright memories in that time for Sonic, but he had learned the forest surrounding the town of Green Hills deeply and intrinsically. Dodging around the trees was second nature, feet finding sure footing in the uneven, shadow filled forest floor. Most of this knowledge had been earned the hard way, but it was his now and Sonic used it bravely.

An hour flew by before he had even realized it. The sun was beginning its gentle arch downward, signalling midafternoon.

No rain had yet. He had plenty of time.

Tearing to the right, Sonic streaked over the thick undergrowth. Roads were easier to navigate, best suited for sprints, but only the thicket and untouched forest floor could offer him the challenge he relished.

Soon, he found himself on a flat plain, the treeline falling away to only a smattering of tall trees to offer coverage. Sonic slowed to a jog, breathing heavily, raising closed eyes to the warmth of the sun. It shone bright even through his eyelids but the kid could hardly be bothered, basking in the simple joy of existing.

A flash of pain snapped those thoughts into oblivion. 

Crumpling gracelessly to the earth, the last thing Sonic felt was the snap of something cold and ungiving around his neck.

Shaking his fist, Scourge looked down at the knocked out Sonic, wiping the thin line of blood that spattered his knuckles on his fur. The collar was clipped around his neck already, adjusting to be snug and unmoveable. 

The green hedgehog’s lip curled at the sight of the Sonic. He was smaller than the rest, but if what the wacky Egghead had told him was true, he was no less capable than any other.

 _“He’s powerful.”_ The human had crooned, running a razor over his shining scalp. _“Don’t underestimate him… Scourge, was it?”_

The kid was out cold, but Scourge had trusted a seemingly unconscious Sonic to be out for the count one too many times.  
  
Well. Didn’t hurt to be certain.

Once, twice, Scourge scuffed the tip of his boot against the ground before rearing his leg back. Whipping right towards the little body on the ground.

He scoffed at the sight. The kid looked like a damn skipping stone.

Jogging lazily, Scourge closed the distance the kid had flown. The blue hedgehog was definitely out. Reaching down, he picked the kid up by the scruff of his neck. This Sonic was barely out of his hoglet years by the looks of the fluff in his quills. Much younger than his prime counterpart. Shrugging, Scourge slung the kid over his shoulder. A job was a job. And any chance to get at a Sonic was not one he’d easily dismiss.

The weight was hardly present and Scourge frowned, snapping out his warp ring. Just how young _was_ this kid? He had crumpled to the ground instantly, and while Scourge wasn’t in the business of pulling punches, his prime self usually went down with much more of a fight.

The ring hummed to life, opening the portal instantly.

Whatever. It didn’t matter.

Kid wasn’t going to be his problem for much longer either way.

Waking up was a drowsy, uncomfortable affair, pain blooming behind Sonic’s eyes before he could even open them. Sucking in a breath, he nearly screamed at the jab of pain in his side. Eyes snapping open, he realized it was already late into the evening, the sun hanging low in the sky.

 _Donut Lord,_ the despaired thought flashed across his mind, limbs jerking into clumsy action. But everything _hurt_ and he ended up crashing onto his side. Hard. The smallest whimper slipped through his teeth as the sharp threat of pain dug its claws into his ribcage.

“Oy. Stay still or I’ll knock you out again.” The voice that snapped out was easy-going, but Sonic froze at the eerie familiarity of it.

 _Buck?_ Turning, he saw a hedgehog who looked quite a bit like the other Sonic but, at the same time, not at all. This hedgehog was a bright, emerald green and Sonic fought the urge to wince when icy blue eyes snapped to him as he shifted in the dirt. A large, shark-toothed grin was tossed his way.

A deep, primal instinct jabbed at his brain, the impulse to run making his feet twitch. Whoever this stranger was, he was definitely not Buck.

“Who are you?”

The grin grew somehow impossibly wider. The strange hedgehog laughed. “Someone’s who’s about to be very rich, blue.” 

Sonic bristled at the nickname. This hedgehog looked _so much_ like Buck, but it was the differences that put him on edge. That grin that felt like a challenge and a warning, the raised scars over his chest, and the leather jacket he was sporting...

Another Buck somehow?

Sonic frowned. His hands were bound, but his legs were free and his mind buzzed at the opportunity. The decision was a split second one. Ignoring the jab of pain, he sprung into movement, tearing across the unfamiliar forested terrain. 

Trees whipped by him and Sonic bit back the painful bubble of laughter. Even with his hands bound, he was quick. Too fast for the strange hedgehog who’s very appearance screamed danger surely-

A lance of pain.

Sonic didn’t even have time to scream as he crashed into the undergrowth, sliding to a rocky halt by the trunk of a tree. Gasping, he looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the attack before he realized the _burning_ that focused on the back of his neck. Sonic tugged at the metal around his neck, heart threatening to hammer out of his chest. His fingers just slid around the edges, finding no corners or clasps to pull at.

It was stuck, it wouldn’t come _off-_

“I see it works even at a range.” The green hedgehog approached again, eyes bright with mirth as he held up a small device. “Nifty, ain’t it? Sucks up the energy used for speed, comes back as a nasty electric shock?” He sniggered.

“What do you want?” Sonic bit out, rising shakily to his feet. He hoped he at least sounded braver than he felt. “You still haven’t told me who you are. I didn’t even realize hedgehogs came in the neon variety.” He laughed, blinking back the tears that had bubbled up from the sudden pain. No way was he going to break in front of this jerk.

“Scourge the Hedgehog,” the green mobian chuckled, closing the distance. At Sonic’s terseness he held up the device tauntingly, clicking his tongue. “Formerly Sonic, if you wanna get technical. Run again if you like.” A clawed thumb hovered over the thumb and Sonic glared at the older hedgehog. “Can’t say it’ll end too well.”

Formerly Sonic… things were starting to make a bit more sense.

Sonic eyed the little controller before looking back to Scourge, who only seemed amused. 

Did the controller activate the collar?

Sonic had to assume so. Why else would the other hedgehog flash it around? In the grass, his fingers twitched. Right. Grab the controller and get the hell out of dodge. He could do that. If the controller could turn the collar _off_ then he could run long enough to get away. “What’s the matter? Can’t take me on one-on-one? Need a little controller to- whoa, wait-”

Sonic wasn’t expecting for Scourge to reach down for him, legs scrabbling back in a sudden panic. Wincing, he made an aborted grab for the controller while he had the chance, but his arms weren’t working. Blinking, Sonic realized that Scourge was holding him by his neck scruff and he _couldn’t move._

Frowning, Scourge regarded the smaller, shocked hedgehog. He still had his scruffing reflex… just how young _was_ this kid?

Shoving the thought down, Scourge set the kid on the ground, tugging at the metal collar to make sure it was still secured. Small, sharp white teeth lunged out at him, missing his hand by a hair.

“Cut that out.” Scourge snapped, cuffing the kid’s ears. It wasn’t meant to be a hard blow, but the kid reeled from it, looking shocked. “And stop tugging at that collar. Don’t want to deliver the doc a damaged package.”

Sonic’s heart dropped. Memories surfaced, unbidden; the crazy doctor with the egg robots and sleek appearance. The way he chased him across the world, shot him through and talked about preserving his _body_ -

But it couldn’t be. He was far away on a planet filled with nothing but mushrooms. And this place… even if this wasn’t earth, there weren’t any mushrooms around.

Sonic snuck a glance towards Scourge, angry and baleful. The other hedgehog hardly noticed him, turning and tugging him in the direction they had come from.

“So you mentioned Eggman,” Sonic asked, trying to not wheeze as the collar pushed against his neck, stumbling over his still shaky legs.

“Did I?” The older hedgehog sounded incredibly bored.

“What uh- where is he? Are you meeting him here? There’s a suspicious lack of fun-guys.”

“For a prisoner, you’re awfully chatty. Wanna find out the voltage that collar can handle?” Scourge turned to shoot a grin at the small hedgehog, but frowned at the wide-eyed frightened look. 

That wasn’t right.

Catching himself, Sonic plastered on a smile. He could do this. “That little tickle? No thanks. I _am_ starving, though.” At another hard turn Sonic felt his balance give, collar digging painfully deep. “Um,” he wheezed, trying to dig his fingers between the narrow space between metal and skin, “can you maybe-”

“Hurry up, we got a ways to cover before it gets dark and I’m tired of carrying you.”

Sonic frowned, digging in his heels. “I’m not gonna _follow_ you to Egghead if that’s what you’re- ack!” Tripping over a hidden branch, Sonic dipped forward, crashing into the undergrowth yet again. The scream slipped out really, he hadn’t meant for it to happen. But his side hurt _so much_ and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. The collar dug into his neck and Sonic thrashed, the breath in his throat hitching into a sob. He bit down on his tongue until copper flooded his mouth.

Sighing, Scourge looked down at the sprawled kid. None of this was quite going how he expected. It was becoming clearer that this kid was _not_ experienced at all in fighting. He hadn’t seen Scourge coming and his escape attempts were beyond pathetic. Had the doc been pulling his leg the whole time?

_Relax, he’s a Sonic. Getting out of tight spots is their shtick. Get the money and forget about him._

On the ground, the small hedgehog jerked, body arching in pain as their hand fluttered around their ribcage, afraid to touch.

Maybe the kick had been overkill.

Shaking the thought from his head, Scourge picked the kid up by an arm, pointedly ignoring the tiny gasps of pain. He tried to tug him forward a couple more steps but the kid just stumbled.

Shit. He wouldn’t meet the doctor by nightfall at this rate. Sighing, Scourge released the kid, who fell to the ground almost immediately. 

_He’s just a Sonic. You’re not gonna start feeling bad for the brat. He’s not only a kid, alright? He’s another Sonic._

“We’ll stay here for the night,” Scourge said, masking his own surprise at his words. He’d get nowhere hauling the kid through the forest and across the plains. No. Best to rest up before having to carry him to the doctor.

He ignored the kid while he set about gathering materials for a fire. The kid had quieted down after realizing they wouldn’t have to move for a while. Scourge threw out the occasional biting comment, trying to lure the atmosphere into something more familiar. 

He wasn’t used to a… vulnerable Sonic, for lack of a better word. The older blue hedgehog was quick on his feet and with his comebacks, infuriating even the normally unflappable Scourge. But nothing was quite sticking with this one. Each insult met with only a glare and the occasional sniffle. So he switched tactics.

“Whatsa matter, Blue? Daddy still do all the talking for you?”

 _That_ got a reaction. Just not the one Scourge expected.

Ears pinned back, the kid’s eyes widened, as if he remembered something. His attempt to school his expression was pathetic really, but Scourge pretended like it worked. For his sake more than the kid’s at this point.

“Whatever.” Rising to his feet, Scourge dusted the dirt from his hands, the fire not quite roaring, but burning steadily. “Don’t move. I’ll be back.” At the kid’s brightening eyes he shook his head, almost disappointed. Really, this kid was like an open book. “No use running. This isn’t your planet anymore, if you haven’t pieced that bit together. Stay put, or the next jolt won’t be as short.”

The threat rang a little hollow, but Scourge was confident the kid wouldn’t pick up on that. Pushing into the undergrowth, the green hedgehog disappeared into the dark forest.

Sonic let out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding, wincing as he lifted himself into a sitting position.

Not the same planet…

Now that he paid attention, he could spot the small differences. The air was different. Breathable but… different. Filled with something else, but he couldn’t be sure what. The forest around him seemed close enough to an earth forest, but the grass blades were darker and softer, more like moss than grass.

He was so far from home. Not on the same planet. Was he even in the same universe? The other Sonic’s he’d met had proven the existence of multiple universes, they even visited him sometimes. But he’d never been able to visit them without a chaos emerald and guide.

Sonic swallowed the lump of panic that swelled in his throat and nearly choked at the thought that surfaced.

_How am I supposed to get home?_

Maddie was expecting him for lunch and it was already so dark… and Donut Lord…

Would they worry? Would they wait out on the dark porch? Would… they think he ran away?

The constant pain in his side prevented him from curling into a ball, but Sonic curled up as best he could, muzzle pressing into his knees. The first sniffle bubbled up, followed by a sob. There really was no way home. Maddie and Tom would never know what happened to him. And in an unfamiliar forest, hurt and alone with someone who was taking him to Eggman…

Hot tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, spilling over as he squeezed his eyes shut. Everything hurt and he just wanted to go _home._ Sonic hadn’t always had a home but right now, he missed the warmth of his bed, the soothing touch of Tom and Maddie as they watched a movie together. 

The quiet, shaking sobs quickly morphed into small whimpers that, try as he might, he couldn’t hold back.

There wasn’t… He was alone again. It really didn’t matter what he did. 

Energy crackled from his quills, absorbed instantly by the collar and sent back through his body.

“Ow- ah!” Touching the back of his neck, where the pain centered, Sonic felt something wet. A red spot marred his glove.

He was bleeding.

He couldn’t even… couldnt even _cry_ without this collar absorbing the energy and hurting him with it. Lip trembling, Sonic stared at the red spot on his glove, until the image blurred out of focus, tears spilling forward once more. The energy crackled out. He couldn’t help it, he _tried_. 

It wasn’t _fair._

Sonic tried to control his emotions, knowing they could only end in more pain. The overwhelming emptiness threatened to swallow him whole and he could only bury his face into his arms and knees, wishing for a warmth that was light years away.

The dark forest crackled with the sound of unfamiliar life, but the green hedgehog could hardly be bothered to take notice, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. Despite the mission going so smoothly, Scourge felt oddly rattled by the whole situation. He wasn’t in the business of second guessing himself, but something about the whole thing didn’t sit straight. The kid was nothing like the doctor had implied… he was just. A kid.

Needing to clear his head, he left the Sonic alone with the fire. Even if he tried to run, he couldn’t get far with bruised ribs and that collar.

The doctor was only a day's walk from their location, his odd base located at the heart of a god awful mushroom forest. The agreement had originally been to meet that evening. The wackjob had said something about testing the Sonic as a new battery. 

Normally, the comment wouldn’t faze the green hedgehog. He’d heard Eggmans say and do worse, regardless of what universe they came from. But with the kid…

_Not your problem._

Besides. The kid would probably escape within the day. Scourge would get his money and the kid would get some experience under his belt. Everyone would come out a winner.

Reassured, Scourge looped back around, heading back to the glow of the fire. As he approached the little clearing, he noticed the kid had moved. The little blue hedgehog was curled up against a tree, shoulders shaking and small sobs wracking through his body, making their way through the darkening forest. Sniffling, he pressed his face against his knees, tail and body tucked as tightly as he could.

The discomfort in the pit of his stomach grew at the sight. 

The sooner he made his presence known the sooner he could work on ignoring what he’d seen. Scourge approached loudly, mouth tugging up in a smirk when the kid tensed and whirled around to face him, face set in what he figured was supposed to be a threatening snarl. It could hardly be called a snarl with the tear-streaked muzzle and trembling lip.

“What kinda face is that, huh?” But the moment Scourge took another taunting step toward the kid he jerked back, small hand raised as if that would ward him off.

 _That_ made Scourge stop, smirk frozen in place. What the hell? The kid looked terrified, wincing as if he expected a blow. Yeah, he’d taken the kid out but that was part of the _job._ The kid had been electrocuted but it was because he’d run. He hadn’t… he hadn’t hit the kid like that. Not like-

The pit in his stomach was a gaping maw now. And Scourge felt something he hadn’t felt towards himself in a long time.

Disgust.

Changing direction, Scourge moved opposite the kid, crouching by the fire. The night was warm, but this planet was an odd one.

“Get some rest.” Was all he said. Using a long stick to settle the embers into a steady burn.

For a long moment, the kid didn’t move. Scourge could tell he was exhausted, he had to be. But for some reason he was fighting to stay awake.

“You’re worth more to me alive than dead, kid.” He snapped, ears pinning back slightly at the boy’s wince. “Which means you can go to sleep.”

Green eyes stared back at him over the fireglow. “You’re taking me to Eggman tomorrow?” The voice was small, uncertain. Scourge looked back to the fire, though it needed no more tending.

“That’s the deal.”

“Oh.” No comeback, nothing. The kid looked shaken, but curled on the soft grass, his sniffles eventually petering out to a semi-undisturbed silence.

Scourge rubbed at his face harshly.

He didn’t sleep a wink.

The morning brought Sonic a bleak, gray sky and the reminder that he hadn’t eaten in nearly two days. His stomach growled loudly, but he didn’t move, hoping that if he stayed still long enough, he’d wake up back in his own room. Something nudged his shoulder.

Gasping, Sonic jerked away, seeing the green hedgehog who’d become his captor. He wasn’t smiling today.

“Get up. Lots of ground to cover and I’m done slowing down for you.”

Biting back any retort, Sonic was lifted to his feet by his scruff, wobbling slightly. He’d already cried in front of Scourge… but he refused to give him any more satisfaction. The thought of coming face to face with Eggman in such conditions was more than a little horrifying… but he’d be okay. 

Right?

The walk was less punishing than the day before. Walking still _hurt,_ but Scourge had at least stopped trying to drag him by the collar. And he’d stopped saying mean things. In fact, he wasn’t saying much at all. Merely walking ahead and occasionally lifting him by the scruff if he didn’t move fast enough, which was often. 

The silence was tense. But Sonic didn’t have the energy to fight it. And he’d need whatever he had left to try and survive Robotnik.

He was still trying to come to terms with it when the first mushroom came to sight.

 _Now_ this was starting to look familiar. Sonic’s heart pounded in his throat, eyes darting around. Scourge tugged on his collar as he slowed down.

“C’mon kid.” He sounded weirdly quiet. But Sonic could only think about how _real_ this was now and how he had absolutely no plan to deal with capture.

A large hand wrapped around his and Sonic eventually realized that Scourge was now leading him by the hand. It was oddly reassuring, despite the fact that they were still heading towards Eggman.

As they walked, Sonic’s mind ran a mile a minute. When he saw Eggman, what would he do? Scourge said he wanted him alive so… that was good right? That meant that he could still try and escape. Meant he still had a chance. All he had to do was be quick on his feet.

But there was still the matter of the collar. And Sonic had _no_ idea how to remove it other than the little control. The bruising on the side of his head told him Scourge had a mean right hook. Were his ribs not bruised he may have attempted to steal it anyway but it took all he had to walk at the painfully slow pace they held even now.

Too soon, they arrived before a pair of ugly, metal doors.

Scourge knocked roughly, stepping back and glancing coolly at the kid.

Sonic felt like he couldn’t breathe when the doors finally opened.

“Ah… late, I see.” Robotnik’s voice still carried the smooth lilt, but his grin as he zeroed in on Sonic was nothing short of terrifying. “But would you look at that, you actually delivered.”

“You said he was powerful.” Scourge’s tone sounded accusatory, and Sonic couldn’t help it. He pulled back, shifting behind Scourge as if putting his captor between him and Eggman would somehow help.

“And he _is._ Like an endless battery. Soon to be all mine-”

“Tch. Where’s my money doc?” Scourge snarled. He didn’t need to hear this shit. Didn’t care about what the doctor would do to the kid. He _didn’t._ “No money. No kid.” A part of him actually hoped there was no money.

Behind him, the kid shifted. He was shaking, eyes glued to the ground while trembling hands fiddled weakly with the collar, as if they might find some purchase there.

Shit.

The rings were quickly exchanged, this Eggman being nothing less than professional. Scourge fought back the pit in his stomach as a pair of robots led the kid away. The little hedgehog shot one last, desperate look thrown over his shoulder as he disappeared into the doc’s facility.

“Well,” clapping his hands together, the doctor looked at Scourge pleasantly, but dismissively. “It was truly a pleasure doing business with you, _Scourge.”_ And the genuinity in his words put a sour taste in the green hedgehog’s mouth.

As the doors closed and Scourge was left alone, he looked down at his payment. The golden rings shone in the evening daylight, taunting. Absorbing the payment, Scourge rubbed his palm roughly against his twin scars.

The mushroom forest was eerily silent, the gaseous clouds settling as the sun set over the horizon. There was no one else on this entire planet. No one to stop him. Scourge turned to look at the metal doors.

_Shit._

Sonic was led down a cold passageway. That was the first thing he noticed. Vents lined the ceiling, pumping cold air constantly throughout the hallway and, he imagined, the rest of the facility.

He had tried to stray from the path that the robots had led him down, only to be met with what looked like… a cattle prod?

“What’s the big idea?” He muttered under his breath, hobbling back down the hallway. At this point, it was hard enough to put one leg in front of the other. The moment the robots halted, Sonic buckled.

Alone for the moment, he simply allowed himself to feel the pain, trying desperately to regulate his breathing. Too soon, footsteps sounded behind him, the tall, bald form of Dr. Robotnik sweeping into the room.

“Heya Eggman,” Sonic injected some levity into his voice, hoping to mask the pain. “Going for that bald look, huh? I can’t say it’s a good look, but we can’t all be The Rock, am I right?”

When Eggman _smiled_ at him, Sonic felt the blood turn to ice in his veins. Again, the primal instinct gripped his thoughts. But there was no energy left to move, much less run. All he could do now was try and survive.

“Funny you should mention baldness! I was actually thinking about collecting your quills before we moved onto the harvesting process-”

The doctor babbled on and Sonic tried to find his tongue.

What… what the hell?

“Harvesting process?” It was almost a squeak, but the doctor hardly noticed, busying himself with a monitor.

“Oh yes, your little alien body is basically a gold mine of materials. What a poor example, gold has its uses sure, a great conductor of electricity. But it isn’t a producer of _sheer energy_ and can’t give me what I need.” Eggman turned, a large syringe in hand. “Not like _you_ will.” 

And it could have looked hilarious, like something out of a B-rated action movie where the villain approaches the hero with large medical instruments. But this wasn’t a movie. And Sonic wasn’t a hero. 

And he was terrified.

Breath coming in quick, sharp pain lanced through his side as he tried to rise to his feet, managing to only fall back in the process.

“W-wait a second, this isn’t fair,” he laughed, feeling his eyes prickle again with the threat of tears. “Y’know I’m not even at my best. This won’t be a fair fight, Eggma-”

Eggman laughed. Loudly and unrestrained, mouth stretching wide as he howled with laughter.

“Fair! Haha, _fair!”_ The laughter was even more unnerving than the syringe, Sonic feeling waves of dread lap at the edge of his thoughts. 

Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, the doctor fixed him with a controlled, yet crazed look. “Oh, now _that_ was funny. But-” The two robots, who had been idle for so long Sonic had all but forgotten about them, grabbed his arms, lifting him in place. “I’m afraid lab rats are just that. Nothing more.”

The tip of the needle rested over his chest, right above his heart. Sonic thrashed wildly. He didn’t know what was in the syringe but he _knew,_ somehow he knew, that if he let himself be shot with it, he’d never wake back up.

“No! _No, wait!”_ The needle pressed against his chest, the hollow point breaking skin-

An explosion deafened him.

The sound of shattering glass and twisting metal screeched through the air and Sonic reeled. The metallic appendages that held him up disappeared and he folded onto the metal flooring like a paper doll. The ringing in his ears echoed loudly before petering out to a long, high pitched whine. A voice came into focus.

“-ain’t about the money, doc. Though I ain’t complaining.”

That voice.

Scourge?

A now familiar hand wrapped around his scruff, something tapping his face.

“Kid? Hey, kid!”

Blinking, Sonic focused on the face before his. Scourge scowled, turning to look at a corner of the room.

“What the fuck you do to him?”

But the only response that came was a loud hacking and howling curses.

The walls of the facility sped by in a speed-induced blur, giving way to the muted browns of the mushroom forest. He was being held, he realized. 

Faintly, he realized Scourge must have rescued him. Sonic couldn’t understand why. But finally, the primal instinct had quieted down. He didn’t know what was going on, but for now, he was safe.

The pain, terror, and uncertainty of the past day and a half caught up to him, slamming into him like a freight train. Sonic gladly gave into the embrace of unconsciousness.

The mushroom forest, plains, and dark forest bled by in a deafening blue. The kid was crushed to his chest, Scourge not taking any risks when running at such a high speed. The doc would no doubt be after them.

There, that had to be enough distance. The warp ring barely had enough charge, but it’d do. Couldn’t risk the doctor following him where he was going now. He already had enough trouble with another blue hedgehog on his case. Stepping through the portal, Scourge watched sharply until it closed, leaving nothing behind but silence.

Releasing a breath, Scourge relaxed, looking around at his surroundings.

Fuckin fantastic. _Another_ forest. He’d meant to take the kid back to his world… Hissing angrily, Scourge realized he’d thought about the other blue hedgehog right before tossing the ring. 

He was in Mobius.

This is what he got for trying to do something _good._ Well. That could work just fine either way. The other hedgehog would no doubt know what to do with the kid. Scourge could call this his charity for the decade and move the fuck on.

It was still late in the night. The grass on Mobius wasn’t nearly as lush, but it’d do. Scourge set the kid on the ground, picking another spot for himself not too far away. If he was lucky he’d catch maybe a couple hours sleep before the kid woke up. It didn’t feel right to just abandon him, but Scourge could point him in the right direction once he woke up. Make sure he didn’t die in a forest or something.

Halfway to dreaming, a small shuffling sound caught the green hedgehog’s attention. Blearily, he looked around, realizing the kid was shaking like a leaf. The nights on Mobius were much cooler than that mushroom planet, apparently.

It was a quick decision, shucking his jacket and tossing it over the kid’s tiny frame. 

Closing his eyes, Scourge finally slept, the pit in his stomach growing smaller.

Sonic snuffled as he awoke slowly, his face was cold but the rest of his body was pleasantly warm. Burrowing deeper into the blankets, he closed his eyes and tried to slip back into the pleasant hold of sleeping. But this blanket was heavy and thick, nothing like the sheets that lined his bed. Had Maddie-

Eyes snapping open, Sonic jerked upright, blinking away the bleariness in the sudden light. Donut Lord and Maddie… he wasn’t home. Eggman had nearly gotten him but Scourge… Looking down, Sonic saw that his blanket was actually Scourge’s leather jacket, the scent of smoke and leather oil wafting up from the material.

“You’re up.” The green hedgehog was already up, dusting dirt and leaves from his fur. He looked odd without the leather jacket, the resemblance to Buck all the more striking like this.

“You came back.” It was an observation, but Scourge quirked a brow at him, swiping up his jacket.

“Yeah, doc shorted me. So I shorted him.” Scourge shrugged the jacket back on, the lie rolling easily off his tongue. “This ain’t your home planet, but I’m sure you can find someone to help you back.” The kid followed his arm as Scourge pointed east.

“Two days walk that way, you’ll run into the Resistance Headquarters, if they haven’t moved them.” Brightening at the words, the kid rose to unsteady legs.

“That’s where Buck is!”

“You got a friend in the resistance?” Scourge scoffed, “Figures. Well, don’t let me hold you back.” He looked at the kid expectantly, who only blinked, hand raising to touch the collar.

“But I can’t run.”

As Scourge opened his mouth to argue, the kid wobbled, grabbing his jacket sleeve for purchase. He looked pathetic, but Scourge had done plenty as it was. “Look kid, I’m not carrying you all the way to the _resistance.”_

“Fine.” The kid huffed boldly, letting go of the jacket but hovering close. The green hedgehog had a lot of bite, but he had helped him… so far. “Then take this dumb collar off then. It’s too tight.” Sonic was fairly confident that with the collar off he could make the distance towards Resistant Headquarters. Maybe his body would even begin to heal?

Rummaging quickly in his pocket, Scourge brought out the small controller. “Sure, whatever.” The doc said it activated the collar, which meant it could deactivate it right? He pressed the button.

Instantly, the kid’s body _seized_ and he began to scream, body convulsing as he fell to the ground. Scourge dropped the controller, as if burned.4

“Shit! _Shit!_ Kid, hey kid c’mon get up.” But the kid wasn’t listening to him, fresh tears painting his muzzle as the remnants of the electricity ran through his body.

“W-why did you do that?!” The words were pushed out mid-sobs, the shock of the pain having caught him off guard.

“I didn’t!” He didn’t know why it was important that the kid knew that, but it just _was._ “I just pressed the button it was supposed to deactivate-” Scourge picked up the controller but froze when the kid winced at the sight of it again. As if he thought Scourge might press the button once more. “Hey, hey look I’ll get rid of it okay?”

Sharp, black nails curved between the controller, snapping it apart easily. Sonic watched the pieces fall to the ground, his breathing evening out.

Running a hand through messy quills, Scourge sighed. So the doctor had designed the collar to never come off? The more the hedgehog learned about this Eggman the less he liked him. Sure, not all Eggmans were like his own universe’s, but this human was _vile._ The kid would never get anywhere with the collar and bruised ribs.

Picking him up, Scourge adjusted his grip. If anyone saw him now he might very well have to take them out as well.

The kid sniffed, settling into the hold. “Thought you said you weren’t gonna carry me to the resistance.”

“I can drop you right now.” The green hedgehog reminded him. “No way I’m going near that place. But maybe close enough to your friend, Buck, was it?”

Sighing, the kid tried to ignore the pain in his side. It was bad, but walking made it hurt deeper and for longer. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” At that moment, his stomach growled loudly. Sonic offered a small smile at Scourge’s raised brow.

“Don’t get your hopes up. We’re a far ways out from any city.”

Twisting slightly in the older hedgehog’s hold, Sonic looked at the bushes that passed them by as Scourge walked through the forest.

“We could eat that.” Confidently, he pointed to a small, mossy area where small mushrooms were sprouting up. Scourge’s lip curled at the sight.

“No way, but these berries tho-”

Sonic’s eyes widened as he recognized the bright, shiny berries. “No! Not those! They’re poisonous, you’ll be sick for days, trust me.” The green hedgehog looked at him, surprise crossing his face briefly, before composing itself.

“If you say so. I’m not eating any fungus, though.”

“Just let me grab some, I’m _starving.”_

An annoyed huff made its way past Scourge’s lips as he set the kid on the ground, kneeling to gather up as many of the small mushrooms as he could.

“Here.” He dropped them into the kids hands, large, surprised eyes looking up at him. Picking him up once more, Scourge resumed his pace, the kid happily cleaning off the mushroom and popping them into his mouth. He seemed utterly unconcerned by the plant, sighing contentedly when they were all gone.

“Were you a boy scout in a past life?” Scourge finally asked. Maybe the kid was one of those nature types.

A blue ear flicked at the question and the kid frowned. “What’s that?”

“A boy sco- ugh, nevermind. Who taught you about plants?” The green hedgehog wasn’t even entirely sure that his prime counterpart was knowledgeable about foraging in the wild.

“No one!” The kid chirped, “I figured a lot on my own. That’s how I know about the berries and the mushrooms. I usually found my food in the tr- uh, elsewhere.”

But before Scourge could ask any more about _that_ bit of information, a gale of wind burst through the forest, stopping not too far from where they were.

 _Another_ Sonic. And not just any Sonic, his prime counterpart. Scourge felt his lips tug up in a familiar, feral grin at the sight of the other. But this Sonic looked _furious,_ expression dark and murderous, the only break in the intensity of expression when he looked down at the figure in Scourge’s arms.

“Wachowski!”

The kid perked up, a bright smile blooming across his face as he recognized the other Sonic.

“Buck!”

Eyes widening in surprise, Scourge looked between the kid in his arms and the furious blue hedgehog across from him. The older Sonic, Buck, crouched. Green eyes zeroing in on Scourge.

Well. Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an au cooked up between me and @a_gentle_dab, a superb artist and absolute storytelling genius (who has given me so much art for this au I'm drowning). The story has been cooked up between us two, and I couldn't help myself to writing it out.
> 
> I really love this au, though posting on it may be intermittent alongside my other projects. Won't be terribly long however!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy! Leave me your thoughts if that's your jam!
> 
> Buck=Modern  
> Wachowski=Movie  
> BB=Classic  
> Scarfz=Boom (Sonic Boom tv show)


	2. Misheard

When the Sonics had met one of the very first established things was names that they could all go by while in each other’s company. Buck for the resistance leader with the unique buckled shoes, Bowling Ball (BB for short) for the younger counterpart- that nickname required no explanation, Wachowski for the second youngest of the group as a nod to his unique parentage, and Scarf Mummy (or Scarfz for short) for the lanky, bandaged hedgehog.

In no time at all, the kindred spirits had grown close, overcoming challenges and relishing the time when meetups became simple hangs.

When Buck had received a call, a rare one, from a communicator, he had immediately dropped what he’d been working on (unfortunate timing for Knuckles, who’d been on the other end of the rope). Buck’s Tails had managed to trace the energy signature, keeping an eye on all anomalies that might signify jumps between worlds or even universes.

Two days they searched. Scouring their own worlds, Wachowski’s, and those in between. The determination to find the kid… the _youngest_ of the Blue Devils, only pitched in feverish intensity with each hour that passed.

Finally, _finally,_ Buck’s Tails had something concrete. A jump that led directly to their world, not even too far from their Resistance HQ.

Buck could hardly spare the energy to feel relieved. With the wind hot on his heels, the hero had streaked across his world, homing in on the signal Tails had transmitted towards him.

Whatever he had been expecting, whoever he had been expecting, it had not been his _green_ counterpart of all things.

Eager to deal with him swiftly, Buck had made himself known, pulled up short by a familiar, small blue figure in the green hedgehog’s arms.

“Wachowski!” He called out, relieved. Immediately however, his eyes caught on to the many scrapes and injuries that littered the young hedgehog.

“Buck!”

Only the kid could brighten like that when looking beat halfway to hell. But the fondness in his chest was viciously smothered by the realization that it must have been _Scourge_ who did this. 

Buck’s fighting style was usually characterized by impossible, acrobatic feats, a bright show of both his personality and prowess on the battlefield. But there was no joy in his movements now. 

Snarling, he lunged forward, arms reaching for Wachowski’s small form. When Scourge instinctively raised a hand to ward him off, Buck grabbed it smoothly. Were the kid not in his arms, Scourge would have been halfway through the air already.

Rather than breaking the arm, Buck pushed them down, snatching the kid in the brief moments the hold was broken. Wachowski’s cry of pain was muffled against his chest as Buck put some space between them.

Shaking his arms, Scourge swallowed the groan of pain. “Ya had your fun, Blue?” He sneered. “Feel better about your day? Playing hero’s pretty fun I bet. S’just as well you can’t fight now.” Blue eyes snapped down to the wriggling form in Buck’s arms.

A blue ear flicked and a truly vicious grin split the hero’s normally cheery face. One that may have looked more at home on his green counterpart.

“Oh you’re right. I’m not fighting you.” He chuckled, settling Wachowski in his arms, who whimpered again at the movement. Behind them, the branches snapped as something bowled right through them. “But he is.” 

Growing up on his own, Scourge had gotten into one too many fights that ended in ambush. Being faster than his enemy (and eventually smarter) kept him out of too much trouble. A young hedgehog with power and no one had ever had the strength to stop him.

Until Blue.

He and Blue had _history._ And right now, Scourge was willing to look past it and leave. Leave the kid and be on his merry way. Leave Blue to his pathetic little friends and world. He was confident enough to say he knew the so-called ‘hero’ well enough that he’d accept this, content to let Scourge go if only to be rid of him. 

All of this had been a cemented reality to the green hedgehog until that sharp grin had cut across Blue’s face. Doubt took root so violently that Scourge was scarcely able to process the spoken words until the sound of breaking branches finally reached his ears.

Like a cannonball, a different blue spin dash cracked against his chest, sending the unaware green hedgehog flying back.

Lightly, the shorter hedgehog landed on his feet, nodding at Buck’s chuckle.

“Took you long enough, BB.”

The shorter hedgehog signed something loosely, a frown spreading across Buck’s face as he recognized the less than polite words. He muttered under his breath, fingers twitching with the old urge to sign back.

A low groan rose up from a splintered tree, Scourge rising to his feet. “Mother _fucker_ you always got tricks up your sleeves don’t you, Blue? BB, huh. What’s that stand for? Blue Bit-”

BB’s face gave nothing away. One moment he was standing there, the next he was tearing up the earth in another spindash, too fast to see. But Scourge was on par with super sonic speeds and reactions. 

Ready this time, he easily sidestepped the attack, a familiar sneer settling on his face. Alright, so his odds were still pretty fucking good from where he was standing. Buck wasn’t letting go of the kid anytime soon and this little guy couldn’t pose too much of a threat. Kicking the point of his boot against the dirt, he wound up for a kick. A moving target was harder but this Sonic also had the disadvantage of being smaller.

“Wait! Stop, Buck he helped me-” The kid twisted in Blue’s arms, cut off by his own sharp gasp of pain.

Whatever Blue responded with, Scourge didn’t hear or care, his fist finally colliding with the curled form of BB’s attack. Wild-eyed, Scourge watched the spindash slam against a tree and carve down the form of the trunk. The little fucker took hits well, able to readjust his trajectory even after being struck. Not a problem, Scourge could always hit harder.

They tore up their immediate area, dirt and splintered wood cracking through the air. Too close to the fight, Buck angled his body, keeping the majority of the debris away from him. Squinting through the dirt, Buck didn’t see the shattered log that hurtled through the air towards them until it was nearly upon them. Curling, he squeezed his eyes shut, prepared to take the brunt of the attack. But it never came.

Squinting through the dirt, he saw another familiar form, standing on top of the battered log.

Scarfz had finally arrived.

The lanky hedgehog turned around briefly, expression hardening as he caught sight of the kid in Buck’s arms.

“He did that?” Scarfz’ words were nearly lost among the noises from the battle. 

“Yeah, but-!” Wachowski’s words were enough for Scarfz, who nodded before turning to join BB.

Gripping sadly at Buck’s short chest fur Wachowski felt his breath latch in his throat. “He helped me Buck, I promise. It wasn’t… It’s not what you think!”

But it seemed like no one was truly listening to him, Buck smiling and offering some words of comfort.

“Let’s get outta here, yeah? BB and Scarfz will meet up with us later.”

But Wachowski didn’t _want_ to go. He’d never seen any of them fight like this and it _scared_ him. Would Scourge be okay?

The battle was further away, but he could still hear them. The strange, sickening noises of bodies slamming against trees, the earth… and somehow, he figured it was Scourge taking most of the damage.

Through the dark leaves, he caught of glimpse of them, BB grabbing a staggering Scourge before tossing him straight into Scarfz’ path.

“Stop! Leave him alone!” Voice raw, Wachowski tried once more to jump out of Buck’s steel hold. The wind felt cold on his face, something wet streaking down his cheeks. Tears, he realized distantly.

“Kiddo! Stay still! It’s okay, it’s alright,” but Buck’s words might have been spoken to a wall for all the attention Wachowski paid him. “Scarfz and BB are gonna be okay-”

Like lightning, the words cracked through his mind. Hands fisting in the other hedgehog’s chest, Wachowski finally turned to look at Buck, breath shallow with panic and pain.

“Is Scourge gonna be okay?”

And Buck had seen the look in Scarfz eyes when he’d arrived. How much time had passed, he couldn’t say, but each time he caught a glimpse of the three brawling hedgehogs he could tell the battle was tipping more and more in favor towards Scarfz and BB.

Scourge was a brutal opponent. The hedgehog held nothing back in any fight, Buck knew that. BB had only a limited window before he would be set on the defensive or worse. But with Scarfz now…

The resistance leader winced as he heard what had to be the cracking of a row of trees.

“We should go,” he answered instead. A reassuring smile was tossed Wachowski’s way, but the kid felt how the older hedgehog’s hold tightened, as if ready to run.

Any words were drowned out by the sickening snap of splintering wood. Jumping back from the debris, BB wiped his face, snarling at the still figure in the remains of the tree.

And the fight had been brought to them once more after all.

Scourge could hardly keep up with the attacks. He was fast, as fast as Blue himself, but the little one was feral and the taller one was fighting unlike any Sonic he’d ever met. Like he was out for blood. Like Scourge himself.

“Shit,” Scourge spat the blood from his mouth, grinning widely. “Had I known this is what it took to get a half decent fight I might have snatched a little Blue a long time ago.”

Pain bloomed against his side. A dumb mistake, to have forgotten about the youngest Sonic. Twisting away, Scourge realized too late he had turned right into the trajectory of the other’s fist.

“He’s a _kid.”_ Tall Blue spat, smearing the red on his glove on his fur, and even with that brown bandana to set him apart Scourge squinted at the hedgehog, fighting the blurriness that was fucking with his sight. “He’s a kid and you still hurt him, _sold_ him, by the looks of it.” And when he held up his hand, something gold glinting between his fingers.

“Did you just fuckin beat _the rings outta me?”_ Scourge snickered, rising to his feet. He squinted again, could barely see shit through his right eye. Didn’t matter either way. 

A long time ago, Scourge had been little more than a punching bag. Moving and swallowing through a beating was something he just knew now. But before he could offer another retort, another screaming spin dash attack slammed against his chest.

He hardly felt the second or third tree he crashed through.

Blinking, Scourge realized he was being held up by none other than the lanky blue hedgehog. The thought made a laugh bubble in his chest. Something painful. “Guess you can’t judge a book by its cover,” he rasped. His words were jumbled at the edges, lips split. “Never thought a Blue would have the guts-”

A fist slammed against his face. Reeling away from the blows, Scourge found he was too weak to break his hold. Wherever he had dodged, one of the Blues had been there. Cornered, weakened, he could do nothing else but laugh.

When the edges of his vision darkened he laughed a little harder, though at this point it sounded more like a wheeze.

“Just a _kid.”_ Scarfz snarled again, blunt teeth gnashing close to Scourge’s face. The words dripped with hatred and anger and regret. Even as beat as he was, Scourge latched onto the weakness.

“A kid _I_ saved.” The words slipped together. “You gonna kill me in front of him?” He asked, lopsided smile burning through the numbness that encompassed his face. “Well wouldja look at that, guess Sonic’s are similar across the board after all.”

He didn’t even have the pleasure of seeing the horror that crossed Tall Blue’s face before Scourge succumbed to the darkness, slumping to the ground in a bloodied mess.

Frozen, Scarfz simply looked at the still form of the hateful hedgehog. He’d gotten a couple hits in but against both him and BB he had never truly stood a chance. The whites of his gloves were streaked with blood, the usual pristine color marred by smears and drops across his knuckles.

Something too close to disgust settled in his chest.

“Why did you do that?” The voice was so small and Scarfz instantly recognized it as Wachowski’s. The kid looked somehow worse now, cheeks wet with what had to be tears.

“Hey kiddo, you okay? What hurts-” But as he approached, terrified eyes darted to his bloodied gloves. Scarfz stopped in his tracks.

“Let’s get you back to Buck’s place, patch you up.” He said instead, light hearted. 

“What about Scourge?”

Scarfz frowned. “What about him?”

“He can’t stay here.” It was said with such certainty and conviction. Wachowski frowned, looking between the three of them. “He’s hurt. And we can help him. Isn’t that what heroes do?”

He didn’t even need to point out the reason Scourge was hurt, seeing the guilt in Scarfz eyes as he glanced at the green hedgehog still passed out on the ground. It was a pitiful sight.

“Wachowski,” Scarfz sighed, rubbing the bloodied gloves absently on his fur, “he hurt you-”

“And he saved me from Eggman. I’m not leaving without him.” He crossed his arms, staring down the older hedgehog.

In the end, the kid won out.

Being the tallest, Scarfz ended up carrying the green hedgehog back. As satisfying as it would have been to leave him to wake up on his own in the forest Wachowski’s face had seemed stricken at the thought of leaving him here. And Scarfz had to admit that he had trouble looking at the battered form of the green hedgehog. It hadn’t been a fair fight.

According to Buck though, Scourge would bounce the first open moment he had. Which suited them just fine.

Resistance HQ had become less of a ramshackle sanctuary for the army that Buck more or less led now and was a grander, better fortified building.

“After the war, Amy set up a couple branches all across Mobius,” Buck explained as they jogged nearer to the concrete building. “But she made sure we kept some top notch docs. You’ll be good to go in no time. Gave your parents a big scare though. Of course, I told them they had nothing to worry about.” He sniffed proudly. “A Sonic always makes it out of scrapes. Sorta our speciality, y’know?”

Buck’s easy conversation was a balm in its own way. Wachowski hardly had the energy to react, much less engage with the older hedgehog.

Soon enough they passed beneath the shade of the entrance and Wachowski was swept away from the green hedgehog, his wounds tended to with care. Scarfz had reassured him he’d make sure he was seen to, something that slightly eased the worry in Wachowski’s chest.

“Can’t do much about the ribs but bind him up and keep him relatively still.” The nurse had told him, a tired looking shrew who directed a sharp glare towards Buck and BB. “I _mean_ it.” He emphasized. “I know you Sonics heal fast but you still have to heal.”

Overpowered, Buck and BB grinned sheepishly, quick to comfort a pouting Wachowski.

“C’mon kiddo, it can’t be all that bad to learn how the other side lives for a bit. No offense.” Buck added quickly, but the shrew only scowled and shrugged. Behind him, BB was quietly rummaging through the drawers for a lollipop.

Once the nurse had kicked the three of them out of his area before hurrying off muttering about his next patient. Wachowski looked up at Buck, the same question bubbling on the tip of his tongue.

“Is Scourge okay?”

He missed the way the older hedgehog’s eyes darkened for a brief moment.

“Sure he is.” Buck quipped lightly. “But we need to get you home kiddo, your mom and dad were worried something awful.”

The thought of seeing Tom and Maddie again nearly pushed down all the thoughts of the green hedgehog. For a moment, Wachowski had been truly terrified he might not see either of them again. That they might stay up late each night, waiting for him to run back to them.

He just had to do something first.

“I wanna see him. You know,” The youngest hedgehog kicked at the concrete floor with a dirty sneaker. “Make sure he’s okay.”

Buck frowned and looked like he might argue, until BB bumped his shoulder in a friendly manner, the soft sound of his signing filling the hallway. Wachowski caught a couple of the signs, having gotten to spend more time with the other Sonic.

“BB’s right. You both are with me. I’ll be totally safe!”

Hands on his hips, Buck gave the two youngest Sonics a disapproving glare before sighing dramatically. “Fine by me then, but a whiff of trouble and I’m calling Amy. She’ll set him straight.”

As they approached the room that the green hedgehog had been dumped in, two nurses stepped out, one of them the same shrew that had tended to Sonic not ten minutes earlier. He seemed just as exhausted and unfazed as when they’d first seen him.

“Either he heals up on his own or lets me stitch him up, but listen here Sonic.” The shrew’s eyes brightened intensely for a split second as he commanded Buck’s attention. “If he snaps at me _one more time_ I’ll restart my body count again I _swear-”_

Chuckling nervously, Buck looped an arm around the shrew’s small form. “Tink! Buddy! C’mon now, you look dead on your feet why don’t we get some food in ya, huh?”

The shrew dug in his heels, fur bristling. “I don’t want-

“Nonsense don’t start that now, Amy told me you’ve pulled two all-nighters just this week.. That’s no good!”

As Buck swept the shrew out of the way he shot BB and Wachowski an apologetic look, warding off Tink’s objections as he half-led, half-dragged the shrew towards the cafeteria.

Inching forward curiously, Wachowski peeked around the doorway. 

“Careful, he _will_ try and bite!” Tink’s voice sounded out behind them, the shrew being awkwardly dragged by the resistance leader as he had turned to try and return to his duties. 

In the room were two cots, only one occupied. Wachowski took a couple steps in, freezing when a green ear flicked in his direction, the hedgehog turning to face him. 

Scourge looked… well he looked like he’d been dragged through the wringer, as Tom would say. 

Swollen black eyes and the dried blood on his face made him no less fearsome as he bared his teeth at the two Sonics.

Wachowski gasped, he hadn’t looked this bad before, had he? 

_“Get out!”_

Before Wachowski could even think of how to reply, a strong hand gripped his shoulder.

“Just leaving.” Scarfz said coldly, materializing seemingly out of nowhere. “Let’s go, bud.”

But even as Scarfz tugged him away from the room Wachowski couldn’t get the image of the beaten Scourge to leave his mind.

“Morning honey.”

A soft kiss pressed to the short fuzz that covered Sonic’s face. He’d only been home for two days but Tom and Maddie had not let him return to his room ]yet. Not that Sonic minded. Sleeping with his parents chased away the nightmares that jolted him awake. The ghostly memory of the needle point turning into a deafening pressure that threatened to crush his chest.

Tom and Maddie were always there, waking him and wrapping him in an embrace until the sobs melted away and he eventually fell back asleep. But waking up in the cool morning light to their gentle breathing and kisses pressed against his face was worth it.

“Morning mom.” He reached out blindly, small hand papping against Maddie’s cheek as she laughed. Sonic smiled, breathing in the warm, clean scent that rolled off of her. “Dad?”

“He had an early shift, remember? We should see him for lunch, though. Come on, I already started on breakfast.” Ruffling an ear gently, Maddie got up.

Breakfast with Maddie was one of Sonic’s favorite activities. But he found he couldn’t enjoy it as much as he normally did. Every time he began to relax into his life once more, something jolted him away from it. There was something he had to do.

“Mom?” Sonic munched on his toast, trying to figure out the best way to word what he was feeling. “I want to go see Buck.” 

At the sink, Maddie froze for a split moment. Something Sonic might have missed were he not watching her so closely. The kitchen curtains seemed to glow with the morning sun light and Sonic wondered for a moment if he had crossed a previously unknown line.

Would they stop him? They couldn’t but… would they try? The thought alone gripped Sonic with a ringing fear. He didn’t want to make them unhappy. If they tried to stop him, that would mean they were unhappy, right?

Sonic was about to take back his request before Maddie turned to face him, a soft, sad smile on her face.

“Okay…” She sighed, drying her hands. “I’ll let Tom know but we’d both feel a little better about it if you _and_ Buck could check in.”

Elated, Sonic nodded vigorously. “I can do that! And, and I’ll tell Buck to check in! You and Donut Dad won’t have to worry a bit I _promise!”_

Maddie chuckled. “You don’t worry about us blueberry, it’s our job to worry about you. Bring me the phone okay? I’ll call Buck, fill him in.”

Sonic wasted no time, rushing off to dig up the phone from its hiding spot in a false book in the living room. Maddie watched him zoom out, listening to the muffled sounds of Sonic climbing the shelves until he reached his quarry (the boy had survived a fall from a skyscraper, she and Tom had stopped fretting if he fell from the shelf or not). 

Silently, she pressed her fingers to her mouth, hoping she wasn’t committing a mistake. Hoping that this was the right thing to do.

The rest of the morning went by a bit of a blur. Maddie made herself busy after calling Tom while they waited for Buck, packing Sonic a small lunch. She trusted Buck would look out for him but sometimes the boys got so caught up with their little adventures that food became the last thing on their mind. And… she needed to keep busy, this small act was a comfort to her. Knowing that, in some way, she could provide for him.

Buck came by to pick him up exactly at midday. 

Tom, having arrived as fast as he could, wrapped Sonic up in a hug. “Okay little bud. You’re back later tonight, no excuses.” He brushed off some dirt, asking Sonic if he had rolled around in the leaves. But as he brushed off the same, clean area she realized Tom was stalling. 

This, Maddie could understand. Even Sonic seemed to linger, chatting too brightly with Buck as he arrived. Whatever it was he felt he had to do, she hoped it would bring him the peace he needed. He’d been home for two days, but it seemed as if his mind were elsewhere. Present only in the aftermath of the night terrors that had gripped him.

With a warm promise, Buck took ahold of her son’s hand before nodding firmly and activating the emerald. Her son, _their_ Sonic, smiled brightly, as if it might chase away all of their worries and concerns. And for a moment it almost did.

“I’ll be back before you can miss me!”

The energy snapped and popped but in the same instant, the world was silent.

And he was gone.

Breathing evenly, Maddie leaned against Tom, taking comfort in his presence as she closed her eyes and whispered to no one.

“I miss you.”

Wachowski didn’t mean to worry his parents. Not so soon after everything. But the fear of helplessness was too strong. And despite all of the power at his disposal, he had been utterly and completely helpless.

“So!” Buck ruffled his quills and grinned. “What’s the plan? Same old? I’m sure we can get into something fun while you’re here. Ol’ Knux has gotten too serious. Wanna go bother him?”

“Actually, there was something else I wanted to do.” Wachowski trailed off, eyeing the HeadQuarters building in the distance. "Tink's around, right? I wanted to ask him something the other day but I forgot."

"Oh." Deflating a bit, Buck shrugged, leading the way towards the HeadQuarters. "Alright we can stop by. But afterwards, Knux!"

The bustle of the building was more a comfort to Wachowski now. Seeing all of the different mobians work together to complete their tasks was nothing short of inspiring. Reminded him of Green Hills, where everyone helped everyone as much as they could.

Losing Buck in his own head quarters was not easy. He knew the layout of the building like the back of his hand, but he never suspected Wachowski was trying to lose him in the first place. It took some careful maneuvering to lose the resistance leader but there were enough people that Wachowski managed to slip away, doubling back on their path as someone stopped Buck in the hallway.

The base was large and not all of it was fully occupied. It took a couple of wrong turns until Wachowski finally gave in and asked for directions for the nurse’s station. He got a couple weird looks along the way (Amy had told him it’s because he was cuter than Buck had been at his age), but no one tried to stop him.

Approaching the nurse’s area, Wachowski perked up as he recognized Tink’s voice. The shrew was grumbling a bandage around a sniffling red wolf.

“Gadget, far be it from me to tell you how to do your job, but accepting a climbing competition from _Knuckles_ tends to be a bad idea.”

The wolf nodded, wincing as the shrew tucked the end of the bandage into place. “Well could have been worse. Could have been a bite from that moss-looking Sonic. In which case I woulda had a chance to practice my stitching skills again, on his lips!” Laughing dryly, he ignored the way Gadget’s face blanched.

“Right, come back tomorrow, I’ll take another look. Get out of here.”

Nodding frantically, Gadget grabbed the frayed rope and scurried out of the room, face somehow pale beneath his red fur.

Wachowski slipped in after him. “Is Scourge here? I wanted to ask him something.”

Tink’s dark, tired eyes turned to the newcomer, squinting as he recognized who this was.

“Bruised ribs… you been running? You better not have been. Ribs take _time_ to heal properly-”

“Nope! No running!” Wachowski interrupted, too brightly. “Just bed rest and taking it easy. But Scourge-”

“Oh the nuisance?” Tink huffed, turning back to his supplies. “Left about five minutes ago. And good riddance.”

He’d just missed him!

“Do you know where he went?” Wachowski peered over the table top, nudging some of the bandages closer to Tink in an attempt to be helpful.

Grunting a thanks, Tink placed them in a box.

“No clue. Saw him head towards the main entrance. Said he was gonna grab his coat and ‘get the fu-’”

“Kay, got it, thanks!”

Zipping out of the office, the last words Wachowski heard behind him was Tink’s booming voice.  
  
“I SAID NO RUNNING.”

The main entrance was not very busy, thankfully. Many mobians waved brightly at him, Wachowski sometimes noticing enough to wave back.

“Buck was just looking for you! Do you want me to call him?” A nice looking hare asked, setting down her rucksack.

“N-no, that’s okay! I know where he is.” Wachowski lied, “Thank you, though!”

There, in the distance, he caught a glimpse of that emerald green, stepping outside the main doors of the HeadQuarters.

“Gottagobye!”

Sprinting after the form, Wachowski ignored the small twang of pain.

“Scourge, wait!”

Outside, the green hedgehog’s ear flicked at the sound of his name. He tensed, turning around until his eyes fell on Wachowski, jogging out to meet him.

Rolling his eyes, Scourge kept walking. Undeterred, the kid followed.

With a practiced movement, Scourge fished around for his carton of cigarettes, happy they hadn’t snagged those. Depending on what universe he landed, cigarettes tended to be kinda valuable.

Wachowski frowned, walking faster to keep up with the green hedgehog.

“You smoke?” He asked, eyeing the lighter warily. “You know that’s not good for you.”

Scourge shrugged, the end of the cigarette lighting as he took a drag. “Bad habit. Don’t start.”

“Really?”

“No.” A long trail of smoke was blown out, the acrid fumes tickling Wachowski’s delicate nose. “The walls have ears and I have enough trouble right now. I don’t give a shit what you do. Smoke, drink, do hard drugs, you have the life expectancy of a mayfly, kid.”

Wachowski winced at the words. Talk about brutally honest. “Actually,” he began hesitantly, “that’s what I wanted to talk to you about-”

Scourge rolled his eyes. “I’m not having existential conversations with a hoglet.”

“But you’ll beat one up?” The click of teeth was audible and Wachowski wondered how the cigarette didn’t fall out of his mouth, chopped in half by those razor sharp teeth. “Just shut up and listen for a second. I want to learn to defend myself.”

Shrugging, Scourge picked up his pace. “Ask Sonic. Or Buckle. Or whatever-the-fuck pet names you’ve given each other.”

“He’s busy.” Wachowski lied.

“And I’m not?”

Stopping short in front of Scourge, Wachowski pointedly looked around at the empty road.

Narrowing his eyes, a low growl built deep in Scourge’s chest. Taking another drag of the cigarette, he considered bolting and leaving the kid in the dust. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t still feeling the ache from the lanky Sonic’s beating. “I have better things to do than baby sit.”

Wachowski smirked. “I’ll take that as a no, then.”

“Yeah, it’s a no. I’m not helping you.”

“No,” The kid rocked happily on the balls on his feet, “as in you don’t have anything better to do.”

Scourge felt an eye twitch. The kid was persistent, he would give him that. But he was, at the end of the day, just a kid. 

“Come on! I’m a quick learner! And this way, you don’t have to worry about me getting caught again.”

Scourge snorted. “Who says I’m worried?”

“Right.” Wachowski grinned, too sure for Scourge’s liking. “So yes?”

A flare of anger lit in the green hedgehog’s chest. If the kid wouldn’t take a hint, he’d just have to show him.

“Okay kid, _fine.”_ Flicking the cigarette to the ground, Scourge picked up his pace. “You wanna learn so bad? Let’s see if you got what it takes.”

Neither of them truly ran, but the place Scourge was taking them wasn’t far at all. Just the first open spot he found off the road. The kid might have been a Sonic, but nothing Scourge had seen so far put him on the same level as the others. Sure, he had the speed and some intense base power, but power was nothing if you didn’t know how to wield it.

Scourge turned to face Wachowski, hands lazily tucked into the pockets of his jacket. “Try and hit me.”

On some level, Scourge figured he should be more wary. Not only had the crazy Eggman acknowledged the kid’s power but he’d heard a couple of snippets during his stay in Blue’s base about the kid. Rumors passed around by people who had nothing better to do with their time than gossip.

Faster, stronger, with powers beyond mere speed.

But Scourge had seen the kid. Not in action maybe, but this Sonic had never known battle from a young age, had never had to make life-threatening decisions from a young age. And it would show in his fighting, no matter what he did.

The kid lowered into a stance before half-heartedly throwing a punch towards Scourge. Lazily, the green hedgehog slapped it away. Another punch followed by a kick, both slapped away and dodged with ease.

Scourge measured the time by the mounting frustration in the kid’s face. When he lowered himself, the air crackling with energy, the green hedgehog hardly batted an eye. The kid was faster now, which did require an equally quick response time, but it hardly mattered. Each time he was knocked to the floor, brow knotted up in confusion, Scourge became certain.

“You’re not worth training.” He drawled, feeling the barest temptation to flinch from the few hits the kid managed to land. 

“That’s not fair, you haven’t even taught me anything!”

“Doesn’t matter if I do,” the hedgehog shrugged, “you don’t have an _intent_ to hit. Doesn’t matter what fancy kicks or spins you learn, you have to wanna hit something to actually hit it.” 

Unsurprisingly, the kid looked confused before brightening, back on his feet like nothing had happened. “Oh I get it! Anger! I gotta dig deep and find my inner darkness, use it to protect people but not fall too deep into it like Anakin did.

Scourge blinked, before shaking his head. Most of what the kid had said hadn’t made a lick of sense, but he… sorta understood. “Me and Sonic hit things because we’re both angry, but one one of us has the balls to admit that. Some people hit for different things, wanting power, protecting something, I don’t care. But you don’t _want_ to hit me. Not really.”

The little Sonic frowned at this, brow furrowed in frustration. “But I’m trying really hard-”

“Doesn’t matter. How about this,” Scourge was bored, his ring needed a little bit more charge before he could well and truly leave this Sonic-infested zone, he might as well. “When’s the last time you wanted to hurt someone?"

As he expected, the question made the kid pause, expression darkening for a brief moment. “With Robotnik… and,” he smiled, fondly, “this one mean guy in a bar.”

The Robotnik comment flew straight past Scourge, mind staggering around one crucial bit of information-

The kid said a _bar?_

He had to be bluffing. There was no way this crybaby Sonic had gotten into a bar fight. The thought alone of any Blue in a bar was enough to tempt Scourge into hysterics. He knew very little about the kid or the lanky Sonic with the ridiculous bandana but he knew his prime counterpart very well. Fucker toed the line between recklessness and 'heroics' like he was born on it. Which meant there was only one way to find out

“Well I can’t really recommend meeting up with any Robotnik. Blue’s is a nutcase and mine is-” Scourge scowled, remembering the coward of Kintober, “he’s not up to snuff. So bar it is. Keep up, kid.”

He knew a place, nearby. Scourge didn’t make it a habit of visiting Blue’s place as much, but whenever he did he made sure to know the cheapest and closest places for alcohol. After all, everyone needed to unwind every now and again, and chaos knew how much Scourge needed it after seeing not one but _four_ Blues.

The kid, to his credit, seemed to brighten at the mention of a bar, asking if they served any chili dogs. Rolling his eyes, Scourge began to wonder if the kid had gone to a restaurant instead and mistaken it for a bar. So far, it seemed in character.

Brushing his way inside, Scourge squinted as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit bar. It was quiet, but whatever conversation lingered was muted momentarily as the two hedgehogs entered. 

Moving easily, Scourge crossed the room and snagged a booth. Leaning back in his seat, he watched the kid hop into the seat across from him. The kid glanced around, nervous for only a moment before brightening at the waitress who approached them. Scourge had to hand it to the kid, he had balls. 

“Get me a beer, cheapest one you got,” glancing up he could see the little Sonic eyeballing the bottles lined up behind the bartender’s area, “and whatever the kid wants.”

Perking up, Wachowski beamed brightly, turning that million watt grin towards the waitress who seemed to soften by a fraction. “Whiskey on the rocks!”

Raising a brow, Scourge watched the waitress jot it down with only the barest of hesitation. “Make it a double.” That made the waitress look at him, chin lifting boldly as she looked at him carefully now. 

Scourge met her stare lazily, his appearance was still well known round these parts despite desperate attempts to avoid it. He flared his quills only slightly, slight enough to seem an accident, but it was enough.

Resigned, she clicked her pen, tucked it in her pocket and walked away.

“Alright kid,” Scourge grinned eager to get a little entertainment now for his troubles, “you said you’ve been in a bar fight, yeah?” They had a pretty fair view of the bar from their booth and Scourge turned outwards to it, eyeing the group around the pool tables in the far corner and the small cluster near the bar. “Every bar or prison fight is more or less the same,” he said lowly, “there’s always someone who’s the ‘tipping point.’ The thread you pull to unravel the rest of the fuckin mess.”

Near the pool area, an ocelot seemed to be having a bad day. The bear he and his buddies had been up against was laughing jovially, no doubt happy with her winnings. In the corner, the cluster of mobians seemed quiet at first glance, but a gecko would occasionally glance around, furtive and nervous.

“Who would you hit first to start a fight?”

Propping himself up on the table, the kid looked at the bar for a moment, muttering under his breath. Even with his ears pricked Scourge could only grab a handful of words. ‘Angry’, ‘scared’, and ‘alone’ were thrown in with the jumbled, quiet mess. He _was_ observant, Scourge realized. 

“The gecko.” He whispered to Scourge, green eyes glancing towards the corner where the yellow gecko stood with the rest of his group. “He’s tense, keeps looking up when the bartender gets close and at the door.”

Not bad for a first try. Chuckling, Scourge leaned back as the waitress brought their drinks. “Keen eye kid, but picking a fight with them might just make them cry.”

Raising his beer in a toast, Scourge took a shallow swig as the little Sonic drank boldly from the dark drink. 

Freezing, the kid turned wide green eyes towards him, slowly opening his mouth so the liquid dripped out. Laughing harshly, Scourge snatched the drink from him and tossed him a couple of napkins. He was still snorting as the kid coughed, shooting him dirty glares.

“Aww,” he sniggered, holding up the glass, “they even put in a cherry for you!”

“They make it seem so yummy in the movies!” The kid pouted, now eyeing Scourge’s beer.

“Nuh uh, you’ve already made a mess. Stick to the soda list, kid.” Grumbling good naturedly, Sonic pored over the list as Scourge waved the waitress over again. He was still chuckling as the kid ordered a soda and some chili fries.

“Good choice.” He hummed approvingly, taking a sip from the whiskey. 

“I’ve tasted tra-uh, food- that was yummier than that.” The kid pulled a face as Scourge easily drank the whiskey.

There it was again. The kid had said something like that before, right when Buck had shown up.

“You mentioned something like that before.” Scourge leaned back, watching the kid carefully. Truthfully, this was none of his business, he didn’t really care. But something seemed just… off.

Ears pinned back, Sonic chuckled nervously. “Did I? Oh, with the mushrooms.” He trailed off, looking nervous again for only a moment before continuing. “It’s not a big deal. I learned it from the raccoons, they found food in dad’s trash cans so I figured I could too.” He shrugged, far too casual for the nervous, crooked smile he wore. “And then dad took me to a bar and I had chili dogs there! They’re way better.”

Several things were streaking through Scourge’s head at this. 

“Why… did your dad let you go through the trash cans?”

“Oh!” The kid chuckled at this, relaxing a little more. “He didn’t. Actually, he shot me with a tranquilizer gun when he found me. But I scared both of us, so I get it. I woke up in Ozzy’s kennel though, _that_ was a little weird.”

Scourge watched the kid just lay all this out like it was _nothing._ “Ozzy?” He asked, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he even wanted to know.

“Dad’s dog.” Sonic answered easily.

So not only had this kid been starved by his dad… but drugged and caged like an animal too? Scourge set his beer down on the table, thinking quickly. His crew was tough, but they at least made sure everyone had a full belly of food… and they sure as hell didn’t _cage_ any of their fuckin’ crew.

“So. Your first bar fight-”

“Oh yeah, Tom, uh- dad, took me there too. But don't worry! I wore a disguise so we wouldn't get kicked out.” He laughed at this and Scourge chuckled weakly. No wonder the kid seemed relatively at ease here. He could tell there was more to the story… but how much more?

“Have you ever told Buck or that raggedy-anne Sonic any of this?” Scourge was so far out of his depth here. 

As the chili fries arrived, Sonic eagerly dug into them. The green hedgehog couldn’t help but wonder when the last time the kid ate was.

“A little bit. They were surprised, but happy I had a dad.” Sonic said around a mouthful of chili fries. “But it’s okay! They’re all friends now!”

It took Scourge back to another time. Before he was who he was now. When he was still little, blue, and full of the same innocent sheen that glowed within this little Sonic. His father always showed his best side to any friends. Made any stories of abuse seem… fantastical. If the other didn’t believe then that meant Scourge was the only one who knew.

How long until this little Sonic was snuffed out like he’d been? Or worse… until he did something that turned everyone against him.

“So who would you pick?” 

Startled out of his thoughts, Scourge turned to see the kid, halfway through his plate of fries. “Who would I pick for what?"

Rolling his eyes, Sonic laughed again. “The fight! You just said the gecko might cry!”

Turning, Scourge could see the gecko and his friends were still at the bar. “Yeah, cuz I’m pretty sure your gecko friend is either waiting on a date or they’re planning their first job.”

“Job?”

“Don’t worry about it. And as for who I’d pick…” But a quick glance around the bar told them the bear was no longer there. “Tch. It was the bear.”

“Not the ocelot? That was my second choice.”

Impressed, Scourge shot the kid a smile. “Good eye, kid. But the bear was hustling the ocelot and his buddies. They’re a good choice but she was already on edge. S’why she left so quickly after winning. One punch to her and boom. Bar fight.” He downed his beer, moving onto the remains of the whiskey.

“Kid you hungry? I’m suddenly starving.” Prime Sonic would no doubt be looking for the kid soon. The least Scourge could do was send the little Sonic back home with a full belly. But the mere thought of the kid going back to that place weighed heavily on Scourge’s mind.

“Am I! I haven’t had a burger in forever.” Inwardly flinching, Scourge did his best to smile.

“Burger it is. You look like a growing kid, double meat?”

Wachowski launched into other stories then, less daunting ones. Scourge regaled the kid with some of his own, the buzz of the alcohol and warmth of the food in his belly loosening him more than any drug ever could. He laughed openly, seeing more of himself, who he’d once been, in the kid. But oddly enough, it didn’t bring the same bitter taste that he had with Buck.

Buck- Prime Sonic- has always, in some way or another, held their differences over his head. Scourge didn’t regret who he was nor who he had become. But the kid was different. He existed unapologetically. 

Another sobering truth came when the kid admitted he’d been alone in his world for ten years before being taken in by the humans who he now called his parents. Living alone in the wild for ten years only to find himself in a home that offered different dangers than the wild… It was a miracle he still maintained that innocence.

Scourge made a decision. 

“I should get back to Buck,” the kid finally sighed, somewhat sadly. “Mom said back before sundown.”

The sky outside glowed orange, the golden hour passed and settled into the delicate gradient of the night.

“Alright,” Scourge shook his head, burning off the weak buzz that had settled in his chest. “I’ll take you back.”

But the kid shook his head, sliding out of the booth. “That’s okay. Besides… I don’t want you to get in trouble with Buck again.”

Snorting, Scourge dropped a couple rings on the surface. The amount should more than cover their meal and the tip. For a moment he had considered just dipping with the kid, but Scourge didn’t like burning bridges needlessly. He might well return to this dive in the future. “You let me handle Sonic- Buckle.”

“It’s Buck.”

“Sure it is.”

The run back to Resistance HQ was a short, slow one. The kid stopped frequently, each time raising an arm to cradle his side before dropping it abruptly. Scourge knew it had to be the ribs. His own body ached still, but the bruises had faded enough to pass unnoticed under his green fur.

Wachowski lingered, looking back towards Scourge hesitantly. Was he afraid to go back?

“So, does this mean you’ll teach me how to defend myself?”

Blinking, Scourge found he’d forgotten about the entire reason he’d dragged the kid to a bar in the first place. To scare him off and leave him alone. Instead he’d fed him, listened to him. Only now did he realize he might also want to defend himself from other threats beyond human doctors.

Chuckling, Scourge shook his head. “I’ll look you up kid. You might just have what it takes.”

Smiling, the kid waved goodbye, before turning to leave. 

He watched the kid leave, jumping over debris piles that had yet to be cleared and wincing when he landed. There was a lot he didn’t know, but he realized he could make a difference here. Something like he’d wanted when he was that age. That he’d needed.

Pulling out the warp ring, Scourge watched it silently. It was nearly completely recharged. The charge would easily clear him off this planet, this universe. He could go home or wherever the hell he wanted. Meet up with his crew and raise some hell somewhere far from here.

Scourge pocketed the ring once more, slipping back into the night. One more night. By morning, he’d have a full charge.

Buck hadn’t been too happy when Wachowski had finally returned. 

“Kid I nearly called Knuckles! _After_ I played that prank!”

“I just went to talk to Tink in the healer’s area and then took a walk with Buddy!” The red wolf in question had perked up when he’d heard his name, but just smiled nervously at Buck. Wachowski breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Buck relaxed. He owed the wolf big time.

Saying his goodbyes after that was quick, Buck snagging a chaos emerald from a disgruntled Shadow’s quills.

“I’ll bring it right back!” He promised, already activating the shiny, purple gem. 

Another flash and Wachowski blinked to find himself in his own backyard. Behind them, footsteps approached them quickly.

“I’m glad you’re back!” Maddie knelt quickly to hug him, her bare cheek cold against Sonic. He hugged her back tightly, realizing she and Tom must have been waiting outside for him.

“Sorry, I know you said sundown, but Wachowski here went for a walk with one of our rookies.”

“Well you’re both back safe.” Tom smiled, always glad to see Buck or any of the Blue Devils. “Ever since he got snatched a couple of days ago I gotta admit I’ve taken to carrying this around again.” He raised his hand to show what Wachowski immediately recognized as the tranquilizer gun.

“Stop waving that around.” Maddie scolded him, rising to her feet. “And I told you to leave it in the kitchen.”

Wachowski basked in the warm glow of his family, following them inside. He stopped at the patio steps, realizing Buck wasn’t following them in.

“Are you heading back?”

Buck smiled fondly, holding up the purple gem. “I gotta this time. But I’ll be by later soon to hang out, have some of Maddie’s cooking.” With a final wave, Buck flashed out of existence for the second time that day.

Turning back to the warmth of the house, Wachowski happily followed Tom and Maddie inside, hoping that, where he was, Scourge was also having a warm night.

The next morning was a lazy day, by Wachowski standards. With both Tom and Maddie not working the following day, they got to stay up late and watch movies! Sonic gorged himself on pizza while they ran through some of the ‘classics’ Tom insisted every kid should watch. And Sonic had to admit, the movie _was_ good. When it was over, he proudly tucked Monster’s Inc. on the DVD shelf, next to all his favorites.

The next morning was a late one. Tom carried Wachowski downstairs, settling him on the couch while he and Maddie prepared breakfast/lunch. These were Sonic’s favorite mornings. When he lived in his cave, he was always out like a light or awake. He could never enjoy a lazy morning like this, smelling food and knowing that it would still be there when he awoke fully. It was never safe for him.

But now, life was nothing like it had been. And he wouldn’t give it up for anything.

Lazily, he roused himself from the couch, stretching luxuriously.

A knock sounded from the door, Ozzy barking excitedly as he ran from the hallway to the kitchen. Tom muttered something under his breath, something clattering in the kitchen.

“Sonic can you grab the door? Wade said he was dropping off some oranges today.”

Yawning an affirmation, Sonic trudged over down the hallway, squinting in the bright morning light. The door jamb was a little higher than him, but a quick hop and he had a handle on it.

“Morning Wade, dad said-” Sonic stopped short, blinking owlishly as he realized the person who had knocked was most certainly _not_ Wade. 

“Right. This time I’m here to save you.” Scourge was grinning widely, hands tucked into his jacket, practically vibrating with energy.

“Wha?” Sonic wiped at his eyes, the door swinging open wider. _“Scourge?”_

“One and only. Quick. I’m getting you out of here, so grab your shoes and let’s _go.”_

But before Sonic could even gather his wits to ask what Scourge even meant by that, several things happened at once.

Not hearing Wade’s voice call through the house, Tom had gotten a little curious. Maybe their neighbor needed help with something? Wiping off the pancake mess he’d caused he headed towards the hallway, about to ask Sonic who was at the door.

He didn’t expect to see a larger, _green_ hedgehog talking to his kid.

And it had been a green hedgehog who had stolen him in the first place. It had been a green hedgehog who had hurt him, sold him to the crazy Robotnik for money. And now he showed up here, bold as anything, in his _home_.

Tom caught the words ‘I’m getting you out of here,’ and he moved decisively. The tranquilizer gun that Maddie had insisted he leave in the entrance hallway was easily within reach. Bright, blue eyes flicked up to see him, the green hedgehog’s face twisting into a snarl as he grabbed his son and pushed him behind him.

It made it an easy shot.

The tranquilizer hit him dead in the chest.

He looked surprised, blinking down at the bright red dart protruding from his chest. With another snarl, he tugged it out, pushing the kid out the door.

 _“Run._ I’ll find you-” His legs wobbled, giving out not soon after.

Tom stared coolly at the passed out green hedgehog, before sighing. Sonic was looking at him… nervously?

“You okay, Sonic?” Tom asked, putting the gun away.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t gonna hurt me.”

Tom frowned. “I’m not so sure about that bud. Can you call Buck? He might know what to do here.”

Nodding quietly, Sonic headed back into the house, sparing the stilled hedgehog another glance.

Tom knelt down next to the larger hedgehog, knowing they didn’t have much time before the tranquilizer wore off if Sonic had been any indication. He felt more than heard Maddie approach him.

“You think he’ll fit in Ozzy’s kennel?”

Maddie huffed, her leg brushing next to him. “Is that a good idea?”

“No clue, but it’s what we’ve got until Buck shows up at least.”

Sighing, Maddie turned away, walking back into the house. “I’ll have to take his toys out of it. Bring him inside then.”

Wakefulness did not come easily to Scourge, his muddles mind blaring alarms even while his body refused to respond.

Around him was… a cage?

It was sheer panic that jerked him upright, a deep rooted fear he’d never lost after escaping the No Zone. Quills flared in alarm, they easily cut through the slender bars of the cage. His breathing evened out at that. So he wasn’t totally helpless here.

“I thought we’d gone through this once. Leave him alone!” Prime Sonic looked at him outside the cage. He was propped on a… table and. Scourge stiffened as he realized why this cage seemed so familiar. Did they put them in a fucking _dog kennel?_

“Heya Scourge!” Peeking out behind Buck, the kid waved happily, approaching the kennel easily. “I was gonna ask if you wanted lunch but you sorta… slept through it.”

The hedgehog growled lowly, the noise morphing into a groan as he realized his head fucking _hurt_. “What the hell, kid?”

Wachowski had the decency to look sheepish. “Uh, I guess waking up in Ozzy’s kennel is a rite of passage now, so don’t worry! Anyway, mom made gumbo.”

Scourge blinked. The atmosphere wasn't... hostile like he'd expected. Even Wachowski seemed fully at ease, smiling over the table Scourge was propped on. Feeling like he'd just missed a whole lot, Scourge propped himself into a sitting position, grunting at the tinglies in his legs.

"Okay," He huffed, glaring at both Sonics, "you've got some explaining to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! Stuff's been very hectic but I have certainly been plugging away at all of my stories.  
> I'm quite overwhelmed with real life but you best believe I love these stories.
> 
> We created a server for Chaos Chosen as well as the Scourge AUs (that belong to a_gentle_dab, I'm just here trancribing their work). I'll post the link once the update for CC goes up but if you're interested come take a look! No spoilers for any stories, just discussion, lore, and ton of art.
> 
> https://discord.gg/HMgxyYyh4s

**Author's Note:**

> This is an au cooked up between me and @a_gentle_dab, a superb artist and absolute storytelling genius (who has given me so much art for this au I'm drowning). The story has been cooked up between us two, and I couldn't help myself to writing it out.
> 
> I really love this au, though posting on it may be intermittent alongside my other projects. Won't be terribly long however!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy! Leave me your thoughts if that's your jam!
> 
> Buck=Modern  
> Wachowski=Movie  
> BB=Classic  
> Scarfz=Boom (Sonic Boom tv show)


End file.
